Page 169 - 1-Entrepreneurship and Local Economic Development by Norman Walzer (z-lib.org)

158 Craig Schroeder

Backporch Friends
The founder of Backporch Friends was sixteen years old when starting
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what has grown into a highly successful business. He grew up in Valentine, lo-
cated in the Nebraska Sandhills, and began artistic pursuits at a very young
age. Both grandmothers were avid quilters and taught him the skills needed
to later design and create unique and whimsical folk art dolls. As the business
grew, he employed other quilters in the region to help produce dolls under
close supervision and his creative involvement in final production.
Early successes eventually led to regional, and soon national popularity.
While a student in high school, he was invited to New York City to create
holiday window displays in upscale retail stores. The designs are now dis-
tributed nationally and featured in the American Folk Art Museum as well
as in Country Home Magazine and Country Living Magazine. Today, the Back-
porch products are highly collected.

ATM
Three young students in Atkinson Public School in north central Ne-
braska have operated a successful lawn care business called ATM, their first
initials, for the past several years. When asked if they have major competi-
tion, the response was, “Not really; other kids aren’t willing to work as hard
as we are.” The entrepreneur who we spoke with is an engaging young man
from a family of entrepreneurs and civic leaders. His family owns several lo-
cal businesses and is involved in all aspects of the community.
Another family member was a high school senior last year at nearby Stu-
art High School. She served as a National Vice President of Family, Career
and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) and was elected governor by
her peers at Girls State in 2004. She ran for both prestigious positions with
a message she is passionate about: “Youth are not only the leaders of tomorrow;
we can be leaders today!”
She tells a story about when she was little and played “Town” with
cousins. Most kids play house, school, or store, but she and her cousins
were big thinkers as toddlers and they ran the entire community! They
named the town Greenville because their playroom had old green shag car-
pet. They each took turns operating the various businesses, school, library,
and public utilities in their small town, and in the process, learned what it
takes to make a real community work.
There is no doubt that Greenville, and the parents who encouraged their
role-playing, will have a lasting impact on these young entrepreneurs. Both
of these young people are growing up in a nurturing family that actively en-
courages entrepreneurial development and instills the importance of com-
munity service in their children.